A leader of the modern streaming era, Netflix has so drastically altered how home entertainment is consumed that it’s so easy to forget how things were. For decades, TV shows used to drop over 20 episodes a season just about every week from September to May; you’d have to wait for stories to unfold over a long period of time with so many filler episodes. Demand didn’t exist.
However, before Netflix offered an ever-growing catalog of content at your fingertips, with the ability to watch episode after episode with the help of the continue watching feature, the service had a different way to get you entertainment. Delivering physical media to your home. This service needs to come back. Here’s why.
- Subscription with ads
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$9
- Premium Subscription
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$20 or $26 options
- Simultaneous streams
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2-4
- # of profiles
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5
- Originals
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Yes
- Live TV
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No
How the Netflix delivery system worked
Home entertainment dramatically changed even before streaming
When Netflix first launched over 25 years ago, it looked a lot different than it does now. Long before the streaming era, Netflix sought to change the way you enjoyed movies and shows at home. Instead of going to the store, the store would come to you. There was still a Netflix catalog to browse, except when you selected a title it didn’t automatically play: it was sent to your home in the form of a DVD.
It wasn’t always instantaneous either. Sometimes you had to wait because DVDs were a physical thing and there were a finite number of them available. So you would queue up your order, and Netflix would send it to you when it became available, which would be basically when someone else returned it. It wasn’t as convenient as it was now, but it was definitely easier than leaving your home.
Canadian residents never got to experience the Netflix delivery service. The company debuted in Canada as an exclusive streamer, dropping entire seasons of House of Cards and Orange is the New Black to herald its groundbreaking system.
This model was around for 10 years before streaming came online. In 2008, Netflix offered Blu-rays in addition to DVDs for a higher price (the company still charges more for higher quality). This entire system was popular, so much so that it ushered in the destruction of Blockbuster and other movie stores. Notably, Netflix didn’t have late fees, but instead built its system around capping how many titles you had at home. You didn’t get another show or movie until you returned the one you had. It worked.
Smart TVs and Netflix originals were wildly popular
Netflix introduced the streaming side of its service in 2007, but it took a few years to really catch on. It rose in popularity in tandem with smart TVs, gaming consoles, and streaming devices that made accessing the app and library easier for consumers. It took a few years for streaming to become preferred over the physical media service, and things really started to change around 2013.
Netflix truly took off around 2013 when it boosted its catalog with original programming and some juicy dramas. House of Cards and Orange is the New Black really helped the streamer gain credibility and eyeballs. More people started using the service as a streamer and the physical disc segment started to wane. A few years later, streaming was dominant, with other services and studios pushing their streaming efforts to keep up with Netflix.
In September 2023, Netflix ended its mail delivery service. But they should bring it back.
Maintain fidelity without interruption
Despite all the advances in screen technology and home entertainment, it’s more complicated than it seems to get the best quality version of a movie or show at home. It takes more than just a great smart TV if you’re streaming content. You also need to enroll in whatever top subscription tier is available in order to gain access to features like 4K resolution and HDR10+ or Dolby Vision.
You also need reliable, fast internet speeds. That means forgoing Wi-Fi, which is subject to interruptions and lags, and connecting a physical cable from your modem to your TV. Your source material, your TV screen, and your means of connecting the two all need to be compatible in order to enjoy entertainment as faithfully as possible.
Quiz
4K Streaming vs. DVD
Trivia Challenge
Think higher resolution always means better picture? — think again, and test your knowledge of the tech behind your screen.
StreamingDVDsCompressionResolutionVideo Tech
What video compression format is most commonly used by major 4K streaming services like Netflix and Disney+?
Correct! H.265, also known as HEVC, is the dominant codec for 4K streaming because it compresses video more efficiently than older formats. However, even HEVC has to make significant sacrifices in quality to fit 4K content into manageable bitrates for internet delivery.
Not quite. The answer is H.265 (HEVC). While H.264 is still widely used for HD streaming, 4K content requires the superior compression efficiency of H.265 to keep file sizes practical — though that compression still comes at a visual cost.
What is the maximum bitrate of a standard DVD’s video stream?
Correct! A standard DVD tops out at around 9.8 Mbps for its video stream. While that sounds modest compared to 4K resolutions, the key is that this bitrate is delivering 480p content — meaning far less data is being squeezed, and compression artefacts are far less visible.
Not quite. A standard DVD’s maximum video bitrate is approximately 9.8 Mbps. That figure might seem low, but because it’s only encoding 480p resolution, the compression is far less aggressive and the picture can look surprisingly clean and film-like.
Approximately what bitrate does Netflix typically use to stream 4K HDR content?
Correct! Netflix streams 4K HDR at roughly 15–25 Mbps, which sounds decent but is actually quite compressed for content at that resolution. A 4K Blu-ray disc, by comparison, can deliver bitrates of 80–100 Mbps, which is why physical media still wins on raw picture quality.
Not quite. Netflix typically streams 4K HDR at around 15–25 Mbps. This is dramatically lower than a 4K Blu-ray disc’s potential 80–100 Mbps, meaning the streaming version must discard a significant amount of visual information to fit through your internet connection.
What visual artefact is most commonly caused by heavy video compression in 4K streaming?
Correct! Banding — where smooth colour gradients appear as stepped blocks — and blocking artefacts are the telltale signs of aggressive compression. You’ll often notice banding in dark skies or shadowy scenes in 4K streams, something far less common on physical media.
Not quite. The answer is banding and blocking artefacts. These appear when a codec discards too much colour and detail data to save space. Smooth gradients like dark skies can show visible ‘steps’ of colour, and fast motion can break into blocky patches — both common in heavily compressed 4K streams.
What is the native resolution of a standard DVD?
Correct! DVDs store video at 720×480 pixels for NTSC regions (like the US) or 720×576 for PAL regions (like Europe). Despite this relatively low resolution, the efficient use of bitrate and lack of heavy compression can make DVDs appear remarkably sharp and film-like on a modest screen.
Not quite. The answer is 720×480 for NTSC or 720×576 for PAL. These resolutions are a fraction of 4K’s 3840×2160, yet a well-mastered DVD can still look impressive because the compression is far less severe relative to the amount of picture detail being encoded.
In what year was the DVD format officially launched for consumers in the United States?
Correct! DVDs launched in the US in 1997, following an earlier debut in Japan in late 1996. The format was a massive leap over VHS, offering cleaner picture, chapter selection, and surround sound — and it dominated home video for over a decade before streaming began to take hold.
Not quite. The DVD launched in the United States in 1997. It had debuted in Japan a year earlier in 1996, and its combination of better picture, digital audio, and durability over VHS quickly made it the dominant home video format well into the 2000s.
What does ‘HDR’ stand for in the context of modern 4K streaming and display technology?
Correct! HDR stands for High Dynamic Range, and it refers to a wider range of brightness levels and colours that a display can show. When properly implemented, HDR can make a bigger perceptual difference than the jump to 4K resolution alone — but poor streaming compression can undermine its impact.
Not quite. HDR stands for High Dynamic Range. It allows displays to show brighter highlights and deeper shadows simultaneously, with a wider colour gamut. Ironically, the heavy compression used in 4K streaming can introduce artefacts that make HDR content look worse than well-mastered SDR video on disc.
What is the term for the process where a video codec selectively discards information deemed less visible to the human eye in order to reduce file size?
Correct! Lossy compression is the technique at the heart of all major streaming video codecs. By discarding data the human eye supposedly won’t notice — fine textures, subtle colour differences — codecs dramatically reduce file sizes. But at low bitrates, those shortcuts become very noticeable indeed.
Not quite. The answer is lossy compression. Unlike lossless encoding, which preserves every bit of data, lossy compression permanently discards information to shrink file sizes. At the low bitrates used by streaming services, this can strip away fine detail, crush shadow gradients, and introduce the artefacts that make 4K streams look worse than a DVD.
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The biggest culprit with streaming is compression. High-quality movie files are simply too big to send over the internet instantaneously, so files are compressed. Depending on the quality and extent of the compression, you may not notice many differences. But if your signal is weak, or you’re streaming content from a lesser service, the final result may be an image that lacks fine detail and has noticeable issues with constrast, such as shadowing or blurring.
DVDs and Blu-rays are simply more reliable. There is no compression that takes place and no interruptions to what you’re watching. There is a file on a disc that isn’t reliant on the internet. You just need a compatible player and HDMI cable.
Pick and choose your next watch more wisely
Every streamer is putting out a lot of original programming, and a lot of it is utterly mediocre. The goal now, it seems, isn’t to produce good or great entertainment, but instead to offer shows and movies that are simply good enough. Or at least dramatic or bad enough that they warrant online chatter and conversation.
Every streaming service, Netflix included, wants you to spend as much time as possible on their service. They want you to get lost in their vast collection and continuously ad titles to your watch list. It’s about attention.
If you’re subscribing to a mailing service, however, you’ll have to be more discerning. You can’t just scroll endlessly and start playing whatever first new thing pops up. You’ll have to pick out what you really want to watch, and you’ll probably find titles you enjoy more. That means you’ll likely think twice about putting on His & Hers, a meandering misfire of a drama that uses abuse and violence as pulpy entertainment. With a mailing service, consumers can push back against the mindless slop being put out that rides the coattails of better stories out there.
Discs often beloved perks and extras
It’s not just lower demand and logistical costs that led to Netflix abolishing its mailing service. It’s also harder to get ads and commercials in front of viewers with discs, especially personalized ads based on their viewing history. You’re not getting ad breaks during your DVD or Blu-ray movie, which is great for the consumer and terrible for Netflix.
Streamers prefer consumers subscribe to their relatively cheaper, ad-supported tiers rather than the pricier ad-free options. That’s because they can make more money selling space before, during, and after the content you watch while building a profile of you that they can sell to advertisers.
Another bonus for consumers is that you’ll probably get a bunch of extras. DVDs and Blu-rays are often filled with exciting features that are actually enjoyable and interesting. Commentary, deleted scenes, bloopers, and even alternate endings were available on discs, extras that made the experience feel more immersive.
Delivering physical media isn’t as convenient as hitting play on a streaming service. But the user experience, in terms of visual quality and uninterrupted viewing, is absolutely worth bringing back the option.
